Chant caught on tape

Poll incident to be reviewed

A formal complaint has not been filed against a poll worker caught on camera Tuesday by a local television station saying "This is Obama's house," said the Vanderburgh County clerk.

Susan Kirk said the incident will be reviewed by the Election Board at its next meeting in a few weeks.

"A formal complaint has not been made, and that's one reason that we're deciding if we'll put that on the agenda or not," she said. "FOX News brought it in. They didn't complain, they just asked if that is appropriate and, of course, that's not appropriate."

WTVW-FOX7 filmed a poll worker engaging in a conversation with a man. It is unknown if he was a poll worker or a voter. The woman is shown saying to him, "This is Obama's house." The woman also is seen chanting Obama's name and asking who in the location is voting for the Illinois senator. The station's report also has been linked to the popular YouTube Web site.

Indiana law states that no one can solicit votes or electioneer within 50 feet of a polling place.

Kirk said after the station brought the video to their attention, the Election Board attorneys went to the polling place in the 4th Ward precinct on South Governor Street to investigate and have the woman refrain from making the comments.

"I haven't had time to sit down and go through every complaint that was made. The attorneys go over those, and I don't go up to them every two minutes and ask them what are you doing?" she said.

Election Board President Tom Massey said the board usually gets complaints from voters, but Tuesday was the first time a television station brought such an incident to its attention.

"Typically we'll get complaints from voters, but this is the first time that the media, with media credentials, was able to film something," he said.

Massey said the board's next meeting hasn't been scheduled, but it will be held in the next several weeks. That meeting, he said, will determine the board's decision on the incident, including whether to recommend referring it to county prosecutors and if the woman could be a poll worker in future elections.

As for other complaints on Tuesday, Kirk said, the clerk's office received a number of phone calls, but no formal complaints, which must be made in writing.

"No one came in with anything in writing, and whether or not they will turn in anything in writing, we haven't received anything as of (Wednesday)," she said. "It has to be in writing, you have to make a formal complaint to the Vanderburgh County Election Board. They will have a meeting as to what should be done with it. We can make a decision whether we want to send something to the prosecutor's office or take it before a judge or something like that. But we don't impose fines and penalties."